Just realized I accidentally changed a character's name between books

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efreysson

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A character is mentioned once in the novel I published last year, and mentioned a second time in the one I published this summer. He then stars as the main antagonist in next year's novel. And I just realized that I screwed up with his name. Last year it was Aron, this year it was Peter.

I was initially going to solve the situation by just making Peter a different person, who appears briefly at the start of the third book, but both mentions make it clear that he is the son of the villain of the first book and apparent heir to the throne of a secret society.

I guess I COULD squeeze in a brother whom outsiders THOUGHT would be the new boss but wasn't. I don't want to, but I don't see what choice I have.

Advice?
 

usuallycountingbats

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Why not come up with a devious reason why he had to change his name? Make it a plot point - if he was minor in both other books, you could easily explain it in the one where he's the MC, and make it look like you foreshadowed the whole thing. As a reader, I'd find that more satisfying, especially if I'd spotted the name change.
 

jcwriter

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Have him change his name, to distance himself from his villainous father. Maybe he adopts the name of his late brother. Or a distant uncle. (Most likely, that one reference in the first book might cause a few head scratches but most readers will absorb it and move on.)
 

Brightdreamer

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I'd have him change his name to mark a new beginning/break with his old life. Or maybe it has something to do with that secret society he's heir to; if popes take new names when they ascend, maybe rulers (at least, rulers of this society) do, as well. (If the society sees itself as a gatekeeper to the spiritual world, maybe rulers call themselves Peter after the saint at the gates of Heaven. Or maybe they trace their roots back to Russia: he names himself after the ruler, Peter the Great. Or the secret society secures a peanut butter sponsorship, obligating a name change.)

If this is set in the modern world (or the equivalent), maybe he changed his ID for more practical reasons: to avoid debtors or hide from the law.

This really could be one of those "happy accidents" that opens up new opportunities.
 

T Robinson

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Long lost twin...for good or evil. Your choice.
 

ironmikezero

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Give him a reason to hide his identity, and use an alias - better still, keep the reason mysterious... Have fun with it.
 

Quentin Nokov

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His name could be Aron Peter Smith or Peter Aron Smith or he could have an alias. You could have a evil twin or brother if you feel you must. Or maybe he just keeps changing his name to protect his identity. He could be Aron, Peter, John, Karl but just throw in there that he continuously changes his name so no one can trace him. (Of course let the readers now that so they don't get confused.) He could briefly muse about being Aron and Peter, and now he has to decide the next name to pick? Then just stay with the other name.
 

jjdebenedictis

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Also, take heart that there are people like me in the world who are so awful with remembering names, they would honestly never even notice. :)
 

Brightdreamer

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Also, take heart that there are people like me in the world who are so awful with remembering names, they would honestly never even notice. :)

I suck at remembering names in real life, though I'm fairly decent at fictional names. (If only RL people were considerate enough to write their names down every time I encountered them. Or at least have a memorable avatar - I suck at faces as bad as I suck at names. And that totally could be taken the wrong way, couldn't it? I'm bad at faces - I don't actually suck at them. Really. Not even a little, when there's chocolate involved. ;) )
 

Twick

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Also, take heart that there are people like me in the world who are so awful with remembering names, they would honestly never even notice. :)

Ask Conan Doyle what Watson's first name is. He wasn't completely consistent about it.
 

Becky Black

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In book 1 Aron was the heir, but he "mysteriously" died by the time of book 2 and his twin brother Peter was the heir during book 2.
 
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